Saturday, February 21, 2004
How can you make $95,000 a year day-trading? Suheil M. Judeh did it by stealing at least six peoples identities and creating 20 others. Using his 26 identities he would trade with his own account and his always made the profit.
The SEC is suing him now. Busted! Other charges may follow.
The SEC is suing him now. Busted! Other charges may follow.
Thursday, February 19, 2004
So many robberies, so little time
The pace of bank robberies this week has been crazy. One caught our attention, however. In Denver, a robbery suspect was nabbed after trying to use a taxi after allegedly robbing a Wells Fargo branch. He took a cab to the bank, asked the driver to wait, then went inside and demanded money from a teller, simulating a weapon. The teller sounded an alarm, the manager of the branch delayed the suspect, and meanwhile the cabbie told two nearby off-duty Denver cops (still in their uniforms) he thought his passenger might have just robbed a bank. They saw him in the Manager's office and rushed in to detain the suspect. Yea!
In Cranston, Rhode Island, two banks were robbed within minutes of each other on February 17. Police believe there were two different robbers. What were they wearing? Hmmmm. Dark, hooded jackets or sweatshirts. Sound familiar?
Score another one for the good guys -- they apprehended a bandit nicknamed "Slim Jim" in Salt Lake. He has confessed to 16 bank robberies, including 10 in Sandy, Utah. That clears ALL the Sandy robberies from the past year!
Other robberies (or attempts) that we heard about this week --
Bank One branch in Edmond, OK
Attempted heist at Compass Bank, Westminster, CO
Same bandit unsuccessfully tried to rob a Bank One branch in the same town (Westminster)
Key Bank, Olympia, Washington (wearing a dark-colored baseball cap)
People's Bank, Diamondhead, MS
First Republic Bank, San Mateo, California
It's like "middle aged white guy week" on the bank robbery circuit right now. Yes, there have been some younger and nonwhite robbers, but not many. See the pics above as examples.
Keep your eyeballs peeled for these crooks.
The pace of bank robberies this week has been crazy. One caught our attention, however. In Denver, a robbery suspect was nabbed after trying to use a taxi after allegedly robbing a Wells Fargo branch. He took a cab to the bank, asked the driver to wait, then went inside and demanded money from a teller, simulating a weapon. The teller sounded an alarm, the manager of the branch delayed the suspect, and meanwhile the cabbie told two nearby off-duty Denver cops (still in their uniforms) he thought his passenger might have just robbed a bank. They saw him in the Manager's office and rushed in to detain the suspect. Yea!
In Cranston, Rhode Island, two banks were robbed within minutes of each other on February 17. Police believe there were two different robbers. What were they wearing? Hmmmm. Dark, hooded jackets or sweatshirts. Sound familiar?
Score another one for the good guys -- they apprehended a bandit nicknamed "Slim Jim" in Salt Lake. He has confessed to 16 bank robberies, including 10 in Sandy, Utah. That clears ALL the Sandy robberies from the past year!
Other robberies (or attempts) that we heard about this week --
Bank One branch in Edmond, OK
Attempted heist at Compass Bank, Westminster, CO
Same bandit unsuccessfully tried to rob a Bank One branch in the same town (Westminster)
Key Bank, Olympia, Washington (wearing a dark-colored baseball cap)
People's Bank, Diamondhead, MS
First Republic Bank, San Mateo, California
It's like "middle aged white guy week" on the bank robbery circuit right now. Yes, there have been some younger and nonwhite robbers, but not many. See the pics above as examples.
Keep your eyeballs peeled for these crooks.
Thursday, February 12, 2004
Score Several for the Good Guys
A man believed to have committed a string of bank robberies around Boston was arrested 2/11. Details.
A 44-year-old crackhead who attempted to rob A Citibank branch in New York was apprehended shortly after he passed a robbery note saying "Give me a thousand dollars and don't f--- up". Charming. Details
The FBI has reportedly received about two dozen tips since its release earlier this week of excerpts from the robbery instructions from the pizza deliveryman robbery case in Erie. Details.
A man believed to have committed a string of bank robberies around Boston was arrested 2/11. Details.
A 44-year-old crackhead who attempted to rob A Citibank branch in New York was apprehended shortly after he passed a robbery note saying "Give me a thousand dollars and don't f--- up". Charming. Details
The FBI has reportedly received about two dozen tips since its release earlier this week of excerpts from the robbery instructions from the pizza deliveryman robbery case in Erie. Details.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
FBI Releases Excerpts of Pizza Deliveryman Bank Robbery Note
It's got to be the strangest bank robbery case ever -- the 8/28/03 robbery of PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania by a pizza delivery man who was locked into a collar, connected to a bomb. The latest development in the case is that the FBI has released excerpts from the nine page robbery note used in connection with this crime. They are hopeful that, as with the Unabomber case, the unique syntax, handwriting, or spelling in the note might look familiar to someone and might lead to a break in the investigation. See the note excerpts. Creepy. Very creepy.
It's got to be the strangest bank robbery case ever -- the 8/28/03 robbery of PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania by a pizza delivery man who was locked into a collar, connected to a bomb. The latest development in the case is that the FBI has released excerpts from the nine page robbery note used in connection with this crime. They are hopeful that, as with the Unabomber case, the unique syntax, handwriting, or spelling in the note might look familiar to someone and might lead to a break in the investigation. See the note excerpts. Creepy. Very creepy.
Robbery Suspect is a Former Police Officer
Proving, once again, that bank robbers are an incredibly diverse group, a bank robber busted in Pennsylvania is a former Philadelphia police officer, and authorities believe this was not his first heist. Interestingly, he got caught because an off-duty cop and spouse spotted him running from the bank holding a wad of cash and figured something rotten was going on.
News story.
Proving, once again, that bank robbers are an incredibly diverse group, a bank robber busted in Pennsylvania is a former Philadelphia police officer, and authorities believe this was not his first heist. Interestingly, he got caught because an off-duty cop and spouse spotted him running from the bank holding a wad of cash and figured something rotten was going on.
News story.
Monday, February 09, 2004
Do dye packs work? You bet. A guy robbed two banks in Austin February 9, then fled the scene on foot. Unfortunately for him (fortunately for the cause of justice), a police officer parked nearby witnessed the dye pack exploding and watched as the idiot robber stooped down in the middle of the street to pick up the stained loot. The bandit was quickly apprehended.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Thanks, Pat Gleason, for finding the 15-point robbery presention/apprehension best practices checklist for us. (See the explanation below.) We've now posted it on BankersOnline. Best Practices for Robbery Prevention
Ouch! USA Today says "Bank robbers loving NYC"
In a February 3, 2004 article subtitled "Police say lax security encourages the crooks -- armed and unarmed" -- USA today points to various ordinances that prohibit behavior ranging from letting dogs run unleashed to cab drivers speaking on cellphones. Then, it says, "On the other hand, it's still pretty easy to knock over a bank." Argh. Don't be encouraging these folks.
The numbers are staggering.
408 bank robberies in NYC in 2003
---- that's up from
136 bank robberies in NYC in 2000
In one 90 minute period in December, five banks were robbed.
Sounds horrible, right? Take a step back and gain a little perspective, however. Back in the 80s, there were more than 1,000 bank robberies in the NYC area per year -- sometimes as many as three per day! By that measure, the 2003 number is not so bad -- but for the terrorized tellers, traumatized branch managers, and other directly and indirectly affected persons, it's 408 too many.
A few months ago, the NYC police and the local bankers association came up with a 15-point list of security practices. We're trying to get a copy to post in the private forum.
In a February 3, 2004 article subtitled "Police say lax security encourages the crooks -- armed and unarmed" -- USA today points to various ordinances that prohibit behavior ranging from letting dogs run unleashed to cab drivers speaking on cellphones. Then, it says, "On the other hand, it's still pretty easy to knock over a bank." Argh. Don't be encouraging these folks.
The numbers are staggering.
408 bank robberies in NYC in 2003
---- that's up from
136 bank robberies in NYC in 2000
In one 90 minute period in December, five banks were robbed.
Sounds horrible, right? Take a step back and gain a little perspective, however. Back in the 80s, there were more than 1,000 bank robberies in the NYC area per year -- sometimes as many as three per day! By that measure, the 2003 number is not so bad -- but for the terrorized tellers, traumatized branch managers, and other directly and indirectly affected persons, it's 408 too many.
A few months ago, the NYC police and the local bankers association came up with a 15-point list of security practices. We're trying to get a copy to post in the private forum.
Monday, February 02, 2004
Two Robberies = Twenty Years in Prison
39-year old Leland Graham, who was found builty of robbing two Joplin, Missouri banks in late December, will have a long time to ponder his foolish actions. He was sentenced February 2, 2004 to 20 years in prison.
A 31-year old California man, Edward Burton, who robbed a San Mateo bank and led police on a high speed chase was sentenced to seven years and eight months. News reports indicate the botched robbery lasted two hours and required the assistance of thirty police officers!
The saddest case is one involving a pregnant 22-year old, April Shanay Lewis, who was found guilty of robbing a bank in Louisiana on August 6th. She faces sentencing February 10th.
Different ages, different genders, perhaps different races. One common thread -- bad choices.
On the same day Graham was being sentenced, a bank robby took place at a downtown San Francisco location of Wells Fargo Bank. The previous Friday, a bandit hit Wes Banco in Columbus, Ohio.
39-year old Leland Graham, who was found builty of robbing two Joplin, Missouri banks in late December, will have a long time to ponder his foolish actions. He was sentenced February 2, 2004 to 20 years in prison.
A 31-year old California man, Edward Burton, who robbed a San Mateo bank and led police on a high speed chase was sentenced to seven years and eight months. News reports indicate the botched robbery lasted two hours and required the assistance of thirty police officers!
The saddest case is one involving a pregnant 22-year old, April Shanay Lewis, who was found guilty of robbing a bank in Louisiana on August 6th. She faces sentencing February 10th.
Different ages, different genders, perhaps different races. One common thread -- bad choices.
On the same day Graham was being sentenced, a bank robby took place at a downtown San Francisco location of Wells Fargo Bank. The previous Friday, a bandit hit Wes Banco in Columbus, Ohio.
